EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles - Bachelor of Arts in Film, Television, & Digital Media 2013
Studied Art and Techniques of Cinematography under:
• Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC • Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC • Dante Spinotti ASC, AIC • Johnny Simmons, ASC
• Guillermo Navarro, ASC, AMC • John Bailey, ASC • Haskell Wexler, ASC • William McDonald, UCLA • Dean Cundey, ASC
For detailed CV Visit my Linked in Profile
- Concentration in Cinematography & Production • Post Undergraduate Work in Documentary 2014
Studied Art and Techniques of Cinematography under:
• Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC • Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC • Dante Spinotti ASC, AIC • Johnny Simmons, ASC
• Guillermo Navarro, ASC, AMC • John Bailey, ASC • Haskell Wexler, ASC • William McDonald, UCLA • Dean Cundey, ASC
For detailed CV Visit my Linked in Profile
PRODUCTION SUMMARY
(SELECTED)
Freelance Director of Photography: 155 projects (2008-preset, 12 years)
Twelve years of experience working as a freelance cinematographer on 155 documentaries, narratives, and music videos. Leads camera and lighting crews making artistic and technical decisions related to the visuals of the story. Collaborates and communicates closely with the director and production teams to ensure that each project reflects the visual style, pace, and overall quality standards of the production.
Designs look-books, shot-lists, story boards, shooting schedules, camera and lighting budgets, and floor plans for productions. Can work independently or help build teams bringing together reliable and creative crews who get the job done, on time and on budget.Camera & Workflow Proficiencies:
ARRI, RED, Sony, Panavision, Phantom, Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Blackmagic • 35mm and 16mm film loading • Lens Care and Maintenance • Knowledgeable in Camera Menus • Work Experience at Camera Rental Facility • Davinci Resolve • ShotPut Pro
Experience working and knows crew in: United States: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Forth Bragg, Oregon, Mount Shasta, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Arizona, Utah, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, United Kingdom, Canada, China, and Turkey.
Administration and Communication:
• Language Skills: English, French, Turkish, Basic Spanish • Patient and quick • Problem Solver • Outgoing and motivating personality • Team player • Works safely and professionally on set 
Director of Photography - Dimensional Shift TV Pilot - A Sharp Productions (April 2018 - December 2018, 9 months)
Worked as a cinematographer on Science Fiction Action TV Pilot Dimensional Shift directed by Amber Sharp. In pre-production, I put together the look-books, shot-list, shooting schedule, floor plans, storyboards, lighting & camera gear packages, etc. During production, I managed camera and lighting crews, making artistic and technical decisions related to the visuals of the story. I collaborated closely with the director to achieve her vision. 
Director of Photography | Documentarian - KLEIO LLC - Elizabeth Taylor Trust. (2015 - 2016, 1 year)
Worked as Director of Photography and edited twenty-five feature-length documentary interviews in Los Angeles, Arizona, New York, Virginia, and London, UK. Lead and recruited camera and lighting teams for simultaneous filming of 3 and 5 camera set-ups. I collaborated closely with producer Stephanie Austin (Terminator 2, Sahara, Behind Enemy Lines) and The Elisabeth Taylor Archives to capture the overall visual style and quality standards of the production.
Director of Photography - Tsui Design & Research Inc. & Free Run Pictures (2015 - 2017, 2 years)
Worked as a cinematographer on a feature documentary about an inspiring architect and world champion boxer Eugene Tssui, creating Ecological buildings to change the world.- Developed shot lists, shooting schedules in foreign countries and across the United States.
- Worked with equipment vendors in China and the U.S. - also provided own equipment.
- Filmed 37 interviews, shot B-roll in 60 different locations in all sorts of landscapes, environments, drastic weather conditions, and terrains.
- Worked fast and efficient setting up beautiful portraits for two camera interviews, lighting, and sound.
- Created visually dynamic, poetic, and unique B-roll shots for the story.
- Captured multiple camera angles to edit a scene depending on the action. (wides, mediums, OS, close-ups, slider shots, static, handheld, and inserts.)
- Filmed across China and U.S.A.
Behind the Scenes Cinematographer - Sony Pictures Entertainment - (February 2017 - July 2017, 6 months)
- Worked as a cinematographer for Behind The Scenes, Table Reads, and Social Marketing for Television Show Dr. Ken, and other Sony Pictures produced shows.
- Captured memorable moments on set to be used for social marketing and promotion.
- Was a "fly on the wall", respectfully kept distance to not disrupt the set, and was always ready to capture a special moment.
- Operated multiple cameras and sound to record table reads.
- Edited over 30 short videos for social marketing content selecting funny bloopers and heartwarming moments on set.
- Took direction and feedback well, and delivered fast turnarounds (within same day to following).
Director of Photography | Editor - Bigger Bolder Baking - Series (Oct 2016 - March 2017, 6 months)
Worked as cinematographer and editor for Gemma Stafford, a professional chef making baking recipes and desserts. Filmed and edited over 23 episodes, delivering weekly Youtube and Facebook videos for the Bigger Bolder Baking show that goes out to a community of over 2,000,000 subscriptions. Collaborated and communicates closely with the channel creators to ensure that each video reflects the visual style, pace, and overall quality standards of the channel.
Director of Photography - "On Common Ground" Series - 2017
In 2017, I worked as a cinematographer on nine short documentaries about protecting National Parks. During the months in pre-production, I put together shot-lists, shooting schedules, camera, lighting, and crew budgets. I worked closely with the on Common Ground clients to develop a unique style that represented each story subject. While filming in the National Parks for two weeks, I created B-Roll that reflected the interviewee's story. Operated drone shots, camera on-sticks, shoulder rig, fluid steady-cam, and time-lapses, etc. My team and I worked in harsh weather conditions, extreme heat, hail storms, and hiked to hard to reach locations.
Director of Photography / Photographer - #WhereIsBeatuty - Narrative Film - March to September 2016 & February to March 2017, 7 months)
- Managed shot-lists, camera and lighting set-ups, visual references development, managing camera and lighting technical aspects.
- Shooting schedule, camera and lighting team building.
- 35mm photography exhibit for promotional marketing of the film.
- Film Premiered at the Cannes Pan African Film Festival and screened at the Academy.
- View Film
Director of Photography / Editor - Crowning Change - Documentary (February 2017 to November 2017, 10 months)- Worked as chief of camera and lighting making artistic and technical decisions related to the visuals of the story.
- Put together the look-books, shot-list, shooting schedule.
- Edited the documentary.
- Won Best Short Documentary at the Los Angeles Film Awards and played at the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival, Los Vegas Film Festival, Canadian Independent Film Festival, Student World Awards, The Human Rights Campaign Time to Thrive, Toronto's LGBT Film Festival, and Dublin International Film Festival
Director of Photography | Documentarian - FACT Magazine (December 2014)- Shot an episode for FACT TV a British music and youth culture magazine/online TV Channel in the US and UK.
- Shot a two camera interview, and created unique stylized b-roll that reflected the story that was being told.
- Created shooting schedule, transcribed interview, and created a script.
- Edited the film to flow with the story and the visuals.
- The film has over 67,000 views on youtube and over 200,000 subcribers.
Director of Photography - The Pachamama Alliance (October 2014) - Worked on 3 documentaries about the defenders of the Amazon rainforest and nature.
- Developed shot lists, floor plans, and shooting schedule.
- Managed the camera and lighting developing beautiful compositions for interviews, and slick slider moves for b-roll.
Freelance Documentarian & PSA’s: 110 projects (2008-preset, 12 years)
Twelve years of experience working as a freelance documentarian. Directed, Shot and Edited award winning documentary projects.
Director of Photography | Documentarian - Samsung (June 2017 - present, 3 years)
Created fifteen+ commercial documentaries and several 360 VR films for Samsung Story Series. Works on-call by project basis.
As a Producer, I coordinated interviews, made production budgets, lighting & camera gear packages, planned accommodations, and travel for the team in Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Seattle, and California. I put together professional teams for physical production and post-production. Designed production schedules for standard film and 3D Virtual Reality production. Collaborated with corporate teams for feedback and delivered quick turn arounds.
As the Director, I conducted interviews and developed B-Roll that reflected the story and overall goals of the client. I worked with a music composer, colorists, sound mixer/designer to create a unique style and look that reflected the Samsung brand. I also directed 360 3D Virtual Reality storylines and shots for a music video, art gallery tour, sports displays, and displays used in education.
As the Cinematographer, I designed shot-lists, storyboards, and shooting schedules. I operated the camera, shoot a dozen interviews per project, operated drone shots, and worked lighting, camera, and sound crew.
In Post-Production, I edited a dozen 3-5 minute documentaries and eight Virtual Reality films. Provided 30-sec and 15-sec social media videos and stills for articles. And designed title and lower third graphics. Turnarounds can be two weeks to a few days.
About the company:
Samsung Electronics leads the global market in high-tech electronics manufacturing and digital media, taking the world in imaginative new directions.
Chief of Documentary Production in China & U.S.A. - InterLangua (2010 - 2019, 9 years)
Worked as Chief of Documentary & Commercial Film Production for a global language management firm. I filmed, edited, produced, and directed 27 documentaries in China and the U.S.A.
In China, I worked for four years, visiting two months at a time to document the educational course development, academic planning, occupational readiness courses and workshops, children language camps, and aptitude-based career assessments.
In the United States, I filmed students and industry professionals job training in hospitals, child welfare, education, marketing firms, architecture, organic food, arts center, hospitality, design, and agriculture.
Executive Producer | Director - “California’s Forgotten Children” Feature Film (2013 – present, 7 years)
As the Director and Producer, I managed the creative visualization while guiding the technical aspects of the production to achieve that vision.
In Pre-Production, I made detailed budgets, proposals, schedules, storyboards, coordinated cast, booked travel and equipment, and hired a reliable crew.
In Production, I conducted interviews and directed a unique style of B-Roll that reflected authentic imagery and storytelling. I developed a strong bond and trust with the interviewees and recorded compelling stories.
From the interviews, I transcribed and managed transcribers for hundreds of hours of footage and wrote scripts.
In Post-Production, I oversaw the editing of the film and collaborated with a co-editor to create a structured storyline.
Thoughtfully working with the composer, we created a unique harmony using jazz and classical music to evoke an emotional evolution of the story.
Collaborating with animators, I designed the script, storyboards, look-books, to create an atmosphere and authentic references to the scenes.
I gathered, scanned, and gained clearance for historical archives.
Worked with a legal team to create a limited liability company, fair use, copyright, clearances, E&O insurance, and more. I managed accounting and relationships with producers.
Marketing-wise, I managed submissions for film festivals, promotional materials, and press to publicize the movie.
Director | Producer | Cinematographer - "ruth weiss, the beat goddess" Feature Film (2016 - present, 4 years)
A feature documentary about one of the last living significant poets of the Beat Generation who revolutionized and empowered the world of poetry, ruth weiss.
The film premiered at the Asolo Art Film Festival in Italy, won Best Documentary at the Peekskill Film Festival in New York, won Visionary Women In Film Award at the Santa Cruz Film Festival, and is nominated for Best Documentary at 10 other film festivals nationwide. ruth weiss was awarded the 2020 Maverick Spirit Award from the Academy Award Qualifying Cinequest Film Festival.As the Director and Producer, I managed the creative visualization while guiding the technical aspects of the production to achieve that vision.
In Pre-Production, I made detailed budgets, proposals, schedules, storyboards, coordinated cast, booked travel and equipment, and hired a reliable crew.
In Production, I conducted interviews and directed a unique style of B-Roll that reflected authentic imagery and storytelling. I developed a strong bond and trust with the interviewees and recorded compelling stories.
From the interviews, I transcribed and managed transcribers for hundreds of hours of footage and wrote scripts for the documentary.
As the Cinematographer, I filmed dozens of interviews comprised of one to two camera set-ups. Filmed authentic B-Roll that reflected the story by respectfully shooting in locations of nature, cities, homes, offices, performance venues, art exhibits, fashion shows, and more—operated drone shots across scenic areas and following subjects in the documentary. I managed a camera and lighting team to shoot a live performance with a three-camera set-up.
Behind the camera with a gimbal, I create camera movements that reflect the dancers. Starring Dancer/Choreographer Ida Nowakowska and Ballerina Brennan Wall, we filmed in the golden sands of the Mojave Desert, the gritty streets of San Francisco, and in the ancient redwood forest dancing to ruth weiss's poetry.
In Post-Production, I oversaw the editing of the film and collaborated with a co-editor to create a structured storyline. I transcoded, organized interviews, and b-roll. While collaborating with a co-editor, I selected sections I liked from interviews and cut together sequences with B-Roll to create a cohesive timeline story.
I did extensive research into finding historical archives, scanning fragile photographs, prints, and other materials.
Thoughtfully working with the composer, we created a unique harmony using jazz and classical music to evoke an emotional evolution of the story.
By collaborating with animators, Ketzi Rivera, and Bijiao Liu, I designed storyboards, shot-list, look-books to tell the story visually, expressed a point of view, created a rhythm, tension, and atmosphere to the scenes.
As a post-production supervisor, I managed file delivery with animation, color correction, music, and sound design/mix. For final film deliverables, I exported the film into multiple formats and designed covers/created DVDs and Blu-Rays.
Worked with a legal team to form a limited liability company, fair use, copyright, clearances, E&O insurance, and more. I managed accounting and relationships with producers.
Marketing-wise, I managed submissions for film festivals, promotional materials, and press to publicize the movie.
Main Editor on Feature Documentary “What Happened Here” - Citizen Cinema (2009-2011, 3 years) - Main editor for the feature documentary called WHAT HAPPENED HERE, directed by Rob Nilsson, production-co. Citizen Cinema.
- Edited the feature documentary from scratch.
- All the interviews were in Ukrainian and Russian, Melody does not speak those languages neither did the director, however she was able to edit the film by listening to the translation and reading the transcript.
- This was Melody's first feature, she edited in high school.
- Awards: Moscow International Film Festival, Tel Aviv Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival
- Freelance Assistant Camera: 48 projects (2011-2018, 7 years)
- Worked for a variety of television networks, narrative films, features, music videos for companies such as CBS Studios, ESPN Sports, NBC Television, HP Vision
- Knowledgeable in camera menus and operation of all mainstream cinema camera technologies and 16mm & 35mm film.
- View Credits
Wildlife Photographer - ( February 2011 - present, 9 years)
I have always been mesmerized with the beauty of animals and have a heart for helping them. Whatever city or country I am working or traveling in, I make time to see nature and animals in their elements. Since 2011, I've created books of some of my favorite photography over the years for family, friends, and colleagues.
On my website, you can find some of my favorite photographs.
Assistant for Professional Development Seminars & Workshops - Canon Inc. ( June 2016 - June 2017, 1 year)
At Canon Headquarters in Hollywood, I helped set-up production workshops, screenings, panels, and seminars with photographers and cinematographers. During the events, I assisted with setting up and breaking down cameras and lighting equipment and supported talent with technical and creative assistance on set.
Technical Support in Productions & Photography - Global Cinematography Institute (2013-2016, 3 years)
The Global Cinematography Institute is devoted to the education of cinematographers and their extension into the digital and virtual realms. I assisted with technical support for conducting camera and lighting evaluations during classes, crewed on sets, and shot promotional photography and documentaries. Mentored students in the professional industry-standard on-set protocol.
working with Dean Cundey and Team
working with Haskell Wexler
working with Haskell Wexler and Team
Photography Archivist - Elizabeth Taylor Trust (January 2016 - April 2016, 4 months)- Photographed hundreds of archival prints.
- Scanned, organized, and labeled thousands of digital and negative film prints.
Photo Journalist - UNICEF (2013-2014, 1 year)
Photographed events for The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on fundraising, advocacy, and education in support of the world's children. These images are featured on their website, articles, and promotional marketing materials. In 2014, I received the Global Citizenship Award from UNICEF for my dedication to helping children by using my skills in photography.
Camera Gear Maintenance & Checkout - UCLA Film Production Technology Office (2012-2013, 1 year)
Assisted in maintenance quality control, and equipment check out procedures. Kept track of inventory, ensuring no equipment goes out without being tested and double-checked. I have hands-on experience building and testing ARRI, RED, Canon, Sony, Blackmagic, Panavision, Panasonic, and 16mm and 35mm film cameras, and a variety of camera accessories. I’ve trained on how to carry heavy equipment correctly, so I don’t injure myself or others.
Animal Management & Education Intern - Oakland Zoo (Jan - June 2011, 6 months)
Observed and photographed 42 different mammals, primates, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Made an educational documentary about African Pygmy Hedgehogs featured on the zoo website. I completed an Animal Management Course for Certification in caring, feeding, cleaning, training, and providing enrichment for the animals at the zoo.
Photographer/Photo Journalist - The California Council for Humanities (2008, 3 months)
As a contributing photographer, I participated in the "How I See It: My Place" Photography Youth Fellowship for the California Council for the Humanities. We worked to promote humanities in meaningful ways to connect diversity and cultures to help strengthen California.
My photography showcased at:
• The Chabot College Arts Museum Photography Exhibit
• "The Behind the Scenes of San Leandro" Photography Exhibit in association with the San Leandro Library
• The California Council for the Humanities Online Exhibit.
In 2009, my photograph titled "The Hand That Changed It All" Won 1st Place at the San Leandro Creek Watershed Photography Contest.